Russian Politics, Growing Participation in Putin Impeachment Motion... Shaking Iron-Fist Rule

84 Local Government Officials and City Council Members Sign... Numbers Keep Rising
Russian Courts Continue Repression with Fines and Imprisonment
Pro-Putin Forces Also Resist... "A General Mobilization Order Is Needed"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The impeachment demand against Russian President Vladimir Putin, sparked within certain circles of the Russian political sphere, continues to spread despite government crackdowns, reportedly shaking the foundation of the so-called 'iron-fist rule' of the Putin regime.

Even the right-wing forces within Russia, previously considered pro-Putin, are voicing opposition to the repeated defeats in the Ukraine war, calling for a declaration of full-scale war instead of a special military operation to end the war quickly. Some warn that President Putin, whose domestic and international standing has narrowed, might make extreme choices such as using nuclear weapons.

Russian Local Leaders and City Council Members Sign 'Putin Impeachment Proposal' One After Another

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to the Moscow Times on the 13th (local time), Ksenia Thorstrom, representative of the Semenovsky District in Saint Petersburg, stated, "So far, 84 people have signed the impeachment demand against President Putin, and the number will continue to grow." The impeachment proposal has been spreading within the Russian political sphere since the previous day when Representative Thorstrom posted it after collecting signatures from 19 local government heads and city council members across Russia.

The Moscow City Council also separately announced a demand for President Putin's resignation. The council strongly criticized Putin's recent political moves, including the invasion of Ukraine, as "a serious obstacle to the potential and future development of Russia and the Russian people."

Russian courts have been cracking down on these local leaders and city council members by imposing fines or some prison sentences on charges such as spreading false information, but the number of signatories continues to increase. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned the Russian political sphere during a press briefing that "critical views are tolerated within the limits of the law," but "those limits are very thin, so caution is necessary."

Even Pro-Putin Forces Sharply Criticize Consecutive Defeats... "If This Continues, It Will Be a Crushing Defeat"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Figures classified as pro-Putin are also sharply criticizing the reality of the Russian army's defeats on major fronts in Ukraine, calling for an end to the current special military operation and the issuance of a national mobilization order.

According to the Russian TASS news agency, Viktor Olevich, a political and military expert known as a pro-Putin figure, appeared on the state-run NTV political talk show and said, "No one believes that the Russian army is withdrawing from Kharkiv as planned to prepare for a counterattack," adding, "If we do not change our strategy immediately, we will never be able to defeat the Ukrainian forces supported by major powers."

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged that Russian troops are moving from the Kharkiv area to Donbas to reorganize, effectively admitting the withdrawal from Kharkiv. As state-run and pro-government media, which had only reported victories until now, began reporting defeats within Russia, the political situation has become highly unsettled.

"Putin Facing Accountability, No One Knows What He Might Do"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Experts warn that as the foundation of the Putin regime, which has maintained iron-fist rule for over 20 years, is shaken, President Putin may make even more extreme choices in the future. This could include deploying nuclear weapons on the front lines to pressure Ukraine and the West or taking harsher military actions that significantly increase civilian casualties.

Russian political analyst Anton Barbashin told CNN in an interview, "President Putin has avoided responsibility for economic issues, which are not his area of expertise, during his 20-plus years of ruling Russia, but responsibility avoidance will be very difficult in the fields of war and diplomacy," adding, "Especially in diplomacy, where he has been called a genius within Russia, it will be hard for him to accept failure, and he may take very radical measures to restore his authority."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.